The New Gods
by Cissa The Bookworm
Summary: Where Oliver and Barry are a part of a new class of gods, trained by the ancient Greek gods themselves. Barry doesn't want to spend an eternity alone. Oliver can sympathize. Olivarry Week 2018 Day Two- Folklore/Mythology AU.


Note: So, I could come up with Greek names for the boys, but that's too confusing for a reader. Instead, we're suspending our disbelief and allowing 'Oliver' and 'Barry' as Greek names. Fanfiction. :)

"So run this by me one more time," Barry stares at Hermes in confusion, "Because so many Romans and those in their empire now believe in you guys, you have to take on people to train into gods and goddesses who will take on your Roman title."

Hermes nods, "Yes."

"And you want _me_?" Barry scratches at the back of his head, "I don't think I'm the right person for this job."

"You're the fastest runner in all of Athens," Hermes points out, "and you're clever and mischevious."

Hermes shakes his staff in irritation as Barry says, "I don't like to steal though. Stealing is wrong."

"Augh!" Hermes hits Barry with his staff and shouts, "I'm not only the god of thieves! I'm the god of messages and travelers and so many other things! Get that through your thick head! Now are you going to accept my proposition or not?"

"I guess…" Barry replies hesitantly, "I guess I'll accept."

"Good. Come on, I have much to teach you before you can become Mercury." Hermes grabs Barry's arm and the pair disappears at the speed of light. They appear at Mount Olympus moments later. Hermes waves at a group of dryads who giggle and wave back. Several send Barry leers, causing him to blush and the dryads burst out laughing. "Come on, loverboy," Hermes tells Barry, guiding him through Olympus towards the council chamber.

Barry stares in awe at the decadence of Olympus, his mouth hanging open, "This is even more incredible than the stories say."

Hermes snorts, "Yeah, yeah kid," Hermes settles into his place around the hearth, placing Barry in front of him and mirroring the poses of the other Olympians minus Apollo. "Father, where is Apollo?"

Artemis snorts, "His young charge started shooting the second Apollo approached him and our dear brother is having a hard time convincing him to come along."

Athena grins wolfishly, "I already like his charge. I hope the boy accepts."

"You would say that," Ares grunts, "I'm sure the brat will be just as annoying as Apollo."

"Even more reason to like him," Athena waspishly responds, "Hopefully he'll annoy you to death."

Ares' eyes burn in anger, "Why you little-"

"SILENCE!" Zeus bellows, causing all the humans present to flinch, "Here he comes now. My son, what kept you?" Zeus smirks, wanting to hear his son admit that a human was causing _him_ trouble and not the other way around.

Apollo pokes the blonde male in front of him in irritation, "This brat decided to shoot first and ask questions second," Apollo guides the man to their spot in the circle, "I apologize for taking so long," The man sticks his tongue out at Apollo, causing Athena and Aphrodite to laugh in amusement. Apollo's right eye twitches and his grimace deepens.

"Let us delay no longer, onto the ceremony…" Zeus commences the ritual that would bestow the new gods and goddesses their powers.

Much later, when the new gods and goddesses were lounging in their own smaller council chamber watching dryads and satyrs performing music, Apollo's charge approaches Barry. "Hello," He smiles at Barry and carefully arranges himself on the couch.

"Hello," Barry replies, a shy smile dancing on his mouth, "I know you're Apollo now, but what was your human name? Having two gods named Apollo is too much to handle at the moment."

He nods in agreement, "I was called Oliver. What about you, Mercury?" Oliver asks, his tone teasing.

"When she was alive, my mother called me Barry." Barry stares down at the cup in his hands, running his fingers along the ridge.

"A gorgeous name for an equally gorgeous man," Oliver delights in the blush that lights up Barry's face.

"You tease," Barry replies demurely, looking away.

Oliver shakes his head in disagreement and takes Barry's chin in his hand, forcing them to meet gazes, "You'll find that I'm completely serious. You're stunning," Oliver stares at Barry, eyes unguarded, "We are to spend an eternity immortal and I'd like to find someone to spend it with. When I saw you...You took my breath away."

"I-" Barry is cut off by the newly dubbed Bacchus stumbling over to them, drunk off his first taste of nectar.

"Isn't this just a riot!" Bacchus yells, throwing an arm over each man and pulling them into an enthusiastic hug, "I can't wait to learn how to make my own wine!"

"Maybe you should lay off the nectar, buddy," Oliver grumbles into Bacchus' armpit, roughly pushing at the other man.

Barry quickly extracts himself and flees to where Minerva and Venus are talking about how their mentors approached them with the offer of immortality. Venus smiles warmly at Barry when he sits down on the open couch, "New Apollo seems very into you." Venus offers.

Barry blushes and allows, "Perhaps."

"I don't usually care for gossip about people's love lives, but I have to agree with Venus," Minerva gives Barry an equally warm smile, "You should go for it."

"I don't know," Barry stutters, "We've only just gotten our powers and none of us know each other."

"You have an eternity to get to know him," Venus points out, "I can practically feel the attraction between you two. It's electrifying."

Barry shrugs, "Perhaps after I am used to my powers. A few weeks at the very least."

"Don't be a prude," Venus giggles, "Have some fun!"

"Perhaps you can have all the fun for me. Vulcan seems attracted to you," Barry nods at the large man on a couch close to a group of giggling dryads.

Venus rolls her eyes and lets the matter drop, unwilling to talk about her own love life to get to Barry's. Instead she asks how Hermes approached him and sends a nasty look towards Vulcan who continued to stare at her with an awestruck expression plastered on his face. The night soon turns into dawn and all the new gods scurry off to their respective quarters to get a few hours sleep before they begin training.

It's several weeks before Oliver gets to speak to Barry alone, "How have you been?" Oliver questions, wrapping his hand around Barry's arm and leading him through the garden of the Muses.

Barry smiles shyly, "Hermes has been working me to the bone. How are you?"

"Apollo says I"m a little brat and perfect for the job," Oliver gives out a booming laugh and Barry laughs much softer, but none the less amused. "Have you thought about what I said?"

Barry bites his lip and stares at their feet as they walk, "I would like to get to know you better, more than in just passing," Barry looks up at Oliver, "Venus has been constantly dropping hints."

"Oh?" Oliver raises an eyebrow in amusement.

"She thinks we'd be perfect together," Barry admits.

Oliver puffs up, grinning. "I happen to agree with her," Oliver deflates when all Barry does is look towards the ground. Oliver pulls Barry to a stop and then guides him to sit on a bench off the path, secluded behind a large tree. "Why are you so hesitant? I feel as if you disappear every time I approach you and you're not surrounded by a group of other people."

"Surely you learned all the stories of the gods as a child. The relationships between the heavenly bodies always seem so complicated and I don't want to have mine end in disaster. If things went sour now..." Barry trails off, looking around at the wildlife flitting throughout the garden. Barry watches a bird land on a branch only to fly off seconds later.

Oliver forces Barry to meet his gaze again, "Do you think I'm not serious?"

Barry stares into Oliver's eyes for several minutes before slowly replying, "I'm scared of burning too many bridges and spending an eternity alone."

Oliver drops his hand from Barry's face and stares down into his lap, "I have the exact same fear. But I wouldn't keep chasing you if I wasn't serious. We can be the gods that don't have a tragic romantic life," Oliver looks at Barry, "Who says we can't stay serious with each other?"

"Eons of bad romantic love between the Olympians?"

Oliver snorts, "We're not them and besides, we're a new generation of gods. I think it's time we start making our own stories. Give us a chance?" Oliver stares at Barry hopefully.

After several long, tense moments, Barry nods his head and replies, "I think making our own story sounds wonderful."


End file.
